Taste of Snots...

My husband and daughter were sick yesterday...Ming is having stomache flu and Felicia is having runny nose and a bit of cough since Sunday.

Anyway, by yesterday afternoon, her runny nose was definately NOT getting better, and she refuses any attempts from us to clean her nose.  She'd shook her head and said "Emoh, moh!"  and the more we insisted on doing it, the more frustrated she got and finally she'd cried....

This is her first time having runny nose, and I just didn't have the heart to see her nose all so dirty and the discharges almost reached her lips.  But still, she'd say, "Moh!" 

So my nanny told me that I should try to suck the snot from her nostril.  (We bought the tool to have the snots removed, but it just didn't work and Felicia was so angry everytime we tried it on her..)

At first I said no of course.  I'd prefer to wait for my mom and ask her to do it.  

But then I don't know when my mom is coming, and when I looked at her, I felt SO SO baddd......she's looking at me with that adorable eyes, smiling with her runny nose...

So I decided to do it.  Her nanny holding her tight, she's screaming and trying to get away, and I tried NOT to look at the fact that her snots are everywhere...and I did it.  

The first and second attempt I failed.  I didn't know exactly what to do.  But the third attempt was a success.  I can feel the snots was quite a lot when I spat it.  and once we let go Felicia, she immediately stopped crying, and it was obvious that she felt a lot better, since her nose is dried for the first time in 48 hours.

She's smiling and I thought, wow.  I AM a mom!  I mean, I may not give birth naturally, but I just suck my baby's snots!! It was a happy ending after all! and It's not in vain!!!

Then I ran to my bathroom and threw up.

A Woman....

The following is a poem by Maya Angelou, sent by an old friend.  I read it through and love it because it is very true.  I hope one day when Felicia reads or perhaps even joins this blog, she will come to understand it too ...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
 enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...  
a youth she's content to leave behind

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her old age

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry... 

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a feeling of control over her destiny.  

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...  
how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its over... 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... 
how to live alone.... even if she doesn't like it...  

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... 
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...

Life is too short... So kiss slowly... 
Laugh insanely..Love truly and forgive quickly...

My Smart Daughter

Felicia is One year Three weeks and two days young now, She's also 9.5KG and 70cm tall.

Yesterday we went to the doctor because there's a rash on her tummy, which we suspected to be allergy but actually the doctor said it's reaction to the Minyak Telon. He prescribes a balm to replace the oil.

Anyway, so we then coincidentally found out that it's time for her to get another kind of immunization shot.

The doctor said that it's better if L.Steiner hold her casually while she's standing up instead of forcing her to lie down on the bed. Which he did, and then the nurse hold her thigh. Me and her nanny were watching anxiously, and Felicia seems clueless at first, she's all smiling from the plenty dolls in the doctor's office.

Then as the drug was injected, She, of course, started crying miserably, her face is all red and her eyes are full of tears. I then took her from Mink and saying "Ooohh, kasian ya sayang..., digigit semut ya....sakit ya...semutnya nakal yaaaa...." which basically telling her that an ant had bitten her and caused the pain...

But then, my almost thirteen months daughter immediately pointing her finger at the doctor accusingly!! Dr. Daniel was laughing out loud, and covering his eyes, pretending to be afraid of her...and my daughter kept pointing at him and making baby talks....

So Smart!

Escalator for the Lazy People!

Check it out! I have been wanting to post this for quite a while now... It's located at Hong Kong Causeway Bay overhead bridge just across Sogo.

My Pretty Daughter

Beberapa hari ini, Felicia kalo ditanya, "Mana fotonya yang cantik?"  Sudah langsung senyum senyum sendiri sambil nunjuk fotonya yang dipajang didinding.

Terus juga suka joget sama lagu "Potong Bebek ..." Jadi ceritanya nih, kalo kita mulai nyanyi lagu itu, langsung Felicia nyari jari telunjuk kita buat pegangan, terus dia berdiri sambil goyang goyang ke kanan en ke kiri...

Terus lucunya lagi, pas baris "Lalalalalalalalala...." dia ikut nyanyi (kalo lagi mood) "yayayyayayayayaa" 

Terus nih, kalo kita ganti lagunya, " Pok Ami Ami" atau lagu lain, dia suka sebel terus langsung main njiwit sambil teriak teriak.  Kalo dicuekin en kita terus nyanyi langsung ngomel en mau nangis.

Terus masih suka main Peek A Boo , tapi kali ini dia yang sembunyi: selimutnya diangkat buat nutupin mukanya, terus pas kita bilang "BAaaa!" dia nurunin selimutnya sambil meringis.

My Mink

There are times when Ming was being a-know-it-all son of a gun.  There are times when I can't believe I'm married to this guy (and not in a good way), but to be fair, I'm sure he has that feeling too from time to time about me.

But this blabbering is dedicated for the lovely Mink he is.  

Like the spontaneous birthday kiss and hug he gave me past midnite.  Like the way he hold my hand in the morning when we both are up but too sleepy and lazy to actually wake up.  Like when he told me sweetly that he'd happily filled up the water tank in the toilet (when it wasn't working a couple of nights ago) for me to use if I want him too.  Like when I was feeling miserable (sometimes for no reasons at all) and didn't want to get up and I told him to get me a glass of warm water with lime juice and he did.  no question ask. no "later, hun".  he just did.  

Like the bear-hug he gave me just when I need it.  Like when I said this morning "You better get the toilet fixed this morning because I just have enough of it!" and he just look at me with that lovely smile that I just COULD NOT keep getting angry at him.  Like when he called me just to say thank you for that lovely bread I re-heat for him this morning.  

hhh...it was those small moments that remind me how lucky I am to marry this adorable Mink.

Until of course, the next time he acts like a-know-it-all-he-bitch

ARRGHH@#&^%^$*(#(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The most important thing for me in a house is (beside Air Condition if i stay in Indonesia) the bathroom.  Give me a sleeping bag and I can sleep peacefully.  No kitchen?  I'll be happy to get Nasi Bungkus for 25 cents.  No mirror? No Problem!

But all I want, is a decent WORKING bathroom.  It doesn't have to be sparkly clean for God's sake!

When I woke up in the morning, I need to know that a warm shower is waiting for me, that the toilet is working perfectly so I can do my both business peacefully. 

Really, is it too much to ask?!

Apparently so.  Ever since Friday, there has been problems with my water pump.  I had someone come to fix it in the morning, then it'll work for a while, then it got busted again at night.  Saturday morning he came to fix it again, then on Saturday evening it broke again.  Sunday Morning he came to fix it yet again, and .... MONDAY morning it broke again!!!

And it's not JUST the pump.  On Friday it's the pump, on Saturday it's something else, and God knows what happened that fateful Sunday night.  

And just as I thought it won't get worse, this morning, my maids filled one plastic bin full of (cold) water for me in the other bathroom, and when I was about to take a shower, a COCKROACH scurried near me.

ARE YOU FU#$*&^ING KIDDING ME?!!! 

I had the same problem when I was staying in a boarding house in Jakarta, renting an overpriced, old and insect-infested room simply because of its great location.

I thought I'm past that.  I was wrong!

That lil bug does it.  It's like the butterfly effect.  The needle on Camel's back.  

I put on my house-slipper and step on it several times with a vengeance while screaming "FUUUCCCKKKK!!!!!"  

I don't feel the slightest better, but when I finally lift my feet after taking a shower and saw it all dead and squeezed, I have to admit, a lil satisfaction and relief creeping in me.

hhhh.....

If tomorrow morning the toilet isn't working properly, I'm renting an apartment for the week.